Birds. 2495 



happy to show them. The railway being now opened to Eastbourn, there is every 

 facility for the lover of nature to have a rich treat, as the scenery is beautiful and 

 boasting of an earthly paradise. — Thomas Thorncroft ; 33, North Lane, Brighton, May 

 30, 1849. 



Occurrence of the American Greater Northern Shrike (Lanius borealis) near Aber- 

 deen. — A specimen of this North-American bird was shot near Aberdeen, about the 

 commencement of the present year, and was exhibited at a meeting of a natural-his- 

 tory association, in the city now mentioned, by Professor Macgillivray. That eminent 

 and most accomplished naturalist remarked, upon the occasion, that the bird in ques- 

 tion had never, so far as he was aware, been previously met with in Scotland, nor, in 

 all probability, in any other part even of Europe. The specimen was a male : it was 

 for a considerable time confounded by naturalists with our own cinereous shrike (La- 

 nius excubitor), of which, indeed, it may be regarded as the representative in the New 

 World. A good distinction for practical purposes will be found between them, in the 

 circumstance that in the American male there are two small bars of white on the wing, 

 whereas in the European there is but one. We are informed by Dr. Kichardson, that 

 the Lanius borealis is found, in considerable numbers, amid the wooded fur countries, 

 as far as the sixtieth parallel of latitude ; and, moreover, that it spends the winter in 

 these remote and inclement regions. In the Fauni Boreali- Americana (vol. ii. p. Ill) 

 there is a coloured lithograph of the female, by Mr. Swainson : it is marked by that 

 exquisite softness, that natural outline, and that life-like expression and attitude, 

 which are so conspicuous in almost all the ornithological drawings which proceed 

 from his pencil. — James Smith; Manse of Monquhitter, June 16, 1849. 



Occurrence of the Pied Flycatcher (Muscicapa luctuosa) near Norwich. — The pied 

 flycatcher, which generally visits this district in very small numbers at this season, 

 appears to be occurring this year in greater abundance than usual, as many as nine- 

 teen specimens having come under my notice since the 9th instant,— all killed within 

 thirty miles of Norwich. — J. H. Gurney ; Easton, near Norwich, May 17, 1849. 



Blackbird's Eggs sucked by a Rat. — About three weeks ago a blackbird built its 

 nest in the ivy, on a wall close to the house : it laid one egg, which soon afterwards 

 was broken : from the situation of the nest and from the season it is not probable that 

 a cuckoo sucked the egg : what, then, could it be ? Since that time a robin has built 

 its nest in the ivy, some feet nearer the ground : it laid five eggs, and was sitting. 

 This morning, on going to the nest, I saw in it what at first I took to be a kitten : it 

 proved, however, to be a large rat, which escaped on seeing me : all the eggs were 

 gone ; and as I distinctly saw the rat in the nest, I now attribute both robberies to 

 him. — Robert Wayne; Wenlock, May 19, 1849. 



The Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) supposed to be nesting in Worcestershire. — A 

 male ring ouzel was killed at Kidderminster on the 9th of May last. Two others, 

 supposed to be nesting, were seen a short time previous, at Witley, in the same county, 

 and one of them (the male) was shot. — W. F. W. Bird ; 5, King's Row, Bedford Roto, 

 June 6, 1849. 



Singular Nidification of a Robin. — In the spring of last year, a small watering- 

 pot, hanging in a potting-shed, at Woodbines, Kingston, was selected by a robin as 

 a suitable locality for her nest, where she sat and reared her brood, undeterred by the 

 many curious visitors who came to look. The gardener, to prevent the nest being 

 " poured out," inscribed below the pot, in chalk, — " There is a robin's nest in this pot, 

 so please do not take it down." The inscription remained after the birds had flown ; 



